The clean, reliable drinking water we all need is not possible without the infrastructure that delivers it. Over the past 15 years, EWEB has invested more than $37 million to upgrade and expand the Hayden Bridge Filtration plant. We are now prioritizing strengthening base level storage and in-town transmission infrastructure throughout our service territory.
Some of the major drinking water projects we are planning and developing include:
Building a second water treatment plant on the Willamette River
Of the 20 largest cities in the Northwest, Eugene is the only one with a single source of drinking water. While the McKenzie River will continue to be Eugene's primary water source, EWEB is in the early stages of developing the Willamette River as an additional water supply. This future water treatmeant plant will be upstream from the Eugene/Springfield area, built to modern seismic standards and designed to deliver water quality that is as good or better than McKenzie River treated water.
Upgrading and diversifying water storage tanks
The three primary tanks that store drinking water for all of Eugene are nearing the end of their useful lives and do not meet modern seismic standards. In early 2020, EWEB began a multi-year project to replace the exisiting tanks with six smaller tanks. This distributed approach improves water quality and increases our resiliency to potentially disruptive events.
Restoring and protecting the McKenzie Watershed
Back in 2000, Eugene was one of the first metropolitan areas to recognize its watershed as part of its water infrastructure. In the aftermath of the Holiday Farm Fire that burned 25 miles of the river frontage, EWEB and our partners in the McKenzie Valley have worked to address immediate risks such as erosion from high intensity burn areas and redevelopment along the river, as well as longer-term resiliency investments to restore floodplan areas that are critical to water quality and habitat. Water customers are helping fund these projects through a temporary Watershed Recovery Fee.
Developing emergency water solutions
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Just as your household invests in an emergency kit, EWEB is making investments to prepare, replace and maintain our community's water system. We are working with community partners to develope an emergency water supply program that includes several permanent distribution sites located throughout the community using groundwater wells, as well as mobile water trailers. As of January 2021, five sites are operational, with two additional sites planned near Churchill High School and Amazon Park. |
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